Relational Alchemy Psychology Services

No matter where you have been, evidence-based therapies are flexible, valuable, and focus on changing now.

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Relational Services

Connection / Value / Communication / Fulfillment / Meaning / Self & Other / Systemic / Sexuality / Intimacy / Kink

Our relationships shape how we think, feel, and act. Some uplift us, while others weigh heavily—sometimes in obvious ways, other times as subtle tensions we can't quite name. These dynamics can quietly influence our choices and sense of self. Relational therapy, with two or more people in the room, focuses on improving connection, reaching shared goals, and building a deeper sense of meaning together.

I provide couples/family/relational therapy for adolescents and adults both in the context of their relationships as well as through relationship-focused therapy for individuals who want to improve their interpersonal lives. I believe in using relationship therapy that works. I practice evidence-based therapy, which means I use therapeutic practices that have been studied and supported by empirical research studies.

We’re a sex-positive, LGBTQIA+ affirming, CNM- and kink-informed practice—and we also support individuals and couples seeking healthy, long-term monogamous relationships. If you’re curious whether we’re the right fit for your needs, we welcome your questions—just ask!

See:

  • How do we know if my partner(s) and I need couples' counseling or couples' sex therapy?


    Research consistently shows that satisfaction in romantic relationships is closely linked to overall life satisfaction and even improved physical health. On the other hand, relational distress can contribute to a range of emotional, psychological, and physical challenges.

    Relationship therapy isn't just for when things fall apart—it can also be a proactive way to cultivate joy, connection, resilience, and lasting intimacy. Couples counseling and sex therapy can provide valuable support during times of transition, disconnection, or stress. Whether you're feeling stuck, navigating conflict, or simply wanting to deepen your understanding of one another, therapy offers tools to build (or rebuild) a secure, thriving partnership.

    Starting counseling before a crisis escalates—especially in the case of ongoing conflict, betrayal, or emotional distance—can help prevent further pain and accelerate the process of healing and repair.

    Therapy can also support couples navigating separation. Whether you’re parting ways or redefining your relationship through co-parenting, amicable breakups, or divorce, therapy provides a space for clarity, compassion, thoughtful decision-making, and parting gracefully.

    No one deserves to stay in a harmful or toxic relationship. Therapy can help you identify patterns of abuse or dysfunction—whether in romantic, familial, workplace, or friendship dynamics—and empower you to set healthy boundaries, make informed decisions, and create a life aligned with safety, healing, and self-respect.


    Relationship + Love Addiction


    Love or relationship addiction can occur when a person becomes compulsively focused on the emotional highs, fantasies, or idealized versions of love and connection. Like other forms of addiction, it often involves a recurring cycle that's difficult to break.

    This kind of addiction may show up as intense obsession with a partner—real or imagined—and a tendency to stay in unhealthy or toxic relationships, often due to trauma bonding. The focus on a fantasy version of the partner or the relationship can make it hard to recognize the reality of the situation.

    Those struggling with love addiction often experience strong emotions like abandonment, jealousy, rejection, and loneliness. These feelings can be overwhelming and persistent.

    It’s also common for someone caught in a love addiction cycle to be involved with a partner who is in a love avoidant cycle—someone who fears emotional closeness and tends to shut down or withdraw. This dynamic between a love addict and a love avoidant can be painful, and it’s often difficult to recognize or change without support from a mental health professional.

  • Is it too late to try relationship therapy?


    Due to the stigma around couples therapy and the myth that only couples on the brink of breaking up go to couples therapy, it’s not uncommon for couples to start couples work when they are already at their wit’s end. If you’re at this point, it's likely that there has been some impact on the relationship -- some things can't be unsaid-- however, that certainly doesn’t mean that all hope is lost.

    For many couples, the sensitive nature of couples therapy creates the intimacy required to get the relationship back on track. This can include working on improving communication, increasing intimacy, discussing mismatched libidos, addressing dishonesty, affairs or other barriers that prevent a couple from feeling fully safe in the relationship.

    As long as everyone in the relationship is willing to come to session with an open mind and heart, couples therapy can help. It’s never too late to start. Depending on the depth of the dissatisfaction, unhappiness or resentment, for some couples the time in therapy is spent on reaching a decision about staying together or ending the relationship.

    When parents separate or divorce, one of the most important decisions they will make is how to divide parenting responsibilities and to support their children. We can also begin this work together. I have experience with custody evaluations and co-parenting therapy.

    You deserve relationships that support your growth, reflect your values, and bring peace into your life.


    Can My Relationship Recover from Infidelity?


    Infidelity can be a debilitating discovery and it often consumes the focus of the relationship. Though it can be a long road, recovering from infidelity can be possible with patience and empathy. If a couple makes the decision to begin healing from betrayal trauma together, it is best for both parties of the relationship to be on board and open to the process.

    Reconciling after infidelity requires patience. There are many hardships and emotions that can arise during the healing process. You and your partner are likely both in pain and it can take time to get to a place of mutual understanding. Improving communication, rebuilding trust and developing empathy are paramount to understanding how the infidelity occurred, and repairing the relationship together.

    For many couples, attending couples therapy after discovering infidelity can be a natural next step. Sometimes, couples will struggle to communicate their feelings and needs. A couples’ therapist can be a helpful neutral party to help you navigate your specific goals and course of treatment.

Relational Services:

Relational Services can focus on:

  • COMMUNICATION
    Frequent arguments, the same dance, constantly bringing up blame for past hurts, stonewalling, defensiveness, invalidation
  • TRUST
    Difficulty in trusting one another, recovering from betrayal/infidelity
  • BETRAYAL TRAUMA
    A type of trauma that can occur if there is a significant breach of trust in a relationship
  • INTIMACY
    Fear of emotional and physical intimacy, vulnerability, talking about emotions, unresolved trauma or early relational wounds affecting current dynamics
  • CONNECTION
    Differences in how connection is expressed, aloneness in the relationship, struggle finding ways to connect, lack of shared emotional experiences, feeling like you’re roommates- not partners
  • SEXUALITY
    Loss of libido, different levels of sexual desire, sexual dissatisfaction, mindful sex, orientation concerns, sex feels like a chore, routine, or emotionally disconnected
  • OPENNESS
    Explore sexuality and new relationship structures, find transcendental experiences, novelty, working through difficult beliefs, creating new values
  • RETROACTIVE JEALOUSY
    Coping with feelings of jealousy can be challenging and even more so when those jealous feelings and thoughts are stemming from a partner’s past and interfering with your present
  • LOVE ADDICTION
    Being sexually empowered also means being sexually responsible. Taking inventory of when your relationship to sex or love is causing problems in your life
  • PASSION
    Hugs, kisses, cuddles, and small gestures of affection diminish or disappear; loss of the spark; there's desire for novelty or fantasy, but it's unspoken or repressed
  • SUPPORT
    Difficulty asking for support, being a people pleaser, offering resources or solutions when asked, daily tasks, celebrating wins, supporting each other’s goals, careers, and growth—even when it's inconvenient
  • FAMILY
    Disagreements in parenting, finances, caretaking, deviding responsibilities, losing a parent, and difficult family relationships
  • PARENTING
    Expecting a baby, transition to parenthood, co-parenting, blended families
  • FAMILY OF ORIGIN
    Unresolved childhood issues impacting the relationship, current family of origin issues, coming out
  • TRANSITIONING
    Exploring the impact of shifting/changing gender identity/exploration and meaning while in a relationship; communicating with your partner around goals, gender dysphoria, dead naming, physical changes, etc.
  • ENMESHMENT TRAUMA
    Enmeshment trauma occurs when a person’s boundaries are violated, and their sense of self becomes fused with another person or group

Where do we start?

When we start working together for couples/intimate relationship therapy, I like to spend a few sessions getting to know you all.

First Session. I like to share about the therapy process and the models we will be using. I also want to learn more about your relationship history and what prompted you to reach out to me for therapy support.

Individual Sessions. I like to schedule an individual session with each of you to spend more time getting to know you and your hopes for your relationship. I also find it helpful to learn about your family background and personal history, because these factors play an important role in our relational/couple's therapy.

Back Together. I will share my thoughts and reflections about why you find yourselves stuck in your negative patterns, and I will offer my suggestions and recommendations about how we can move forward in therapy.

  • I'm curious about Consensual Non-Monogamy (CNM)...

    There are many valid and fulfilling ways to build a relationship—and consensual non-monogamy (CNM) is one of them. CNM is not just a structure, but a set of intentional values centered around openness, honesty, mutual consent, and ongoing communication.

    If you’re curious about or already exploring CNM, therapy can offer a thoughtful, nonjudgmental space to navigate the complex emotional and relational questions that may arise. These include trust, identity, boundaries (as flexible agreements rather than rigid rules), conflict resolution, and the experience of compersion—the joy we can feel from our partner’s joy.

    Sex-positive, affirming therapy supports honest conversations about desires, curiosity, excitement, and connection. Whether you’re just beginning to consider CNM or seeking guidance through challenges, we can work together to strengthen trust, improve communication, and create relational agreements that are rooted in respect, clarity, and care.

    This work is about understanding yourself, your partner(s), and the kind of relationship(s) that feel most authentic to you—all while fostering connection, healing, growth, and novel peek experiences.

  • Digital Relationships and Ghosting...

    In the world of modern dating, ghosting—when someone abruptly cuts off all contact without explanation—has become an all-too-common experience. One moment, you’re exchanging messages and building a connection; the next, they’ve disappeared without a word. This kind of rejection can be disorienting and painful, leaving you questioning yourself and what went wrong. The silence can feel more painful than words, leaving you with unanswered questions and a lingering sense of confusion. Ghosting provides no possibility of closure or empathy, making it difficult to process and move forward. It can disrupt your sense of trust, make you second-guess your instincts, and lead you to question your self-worth. Over time, these experiences can shape how you relate to others and even how you see yourself.

    In therapy, we can gently explore the emotional impact of these moments, help you make sense of what happened, and—most importantly—challenge any painful beliefs that may have taken root in their wake. Together, we’ll work to rebuild your trust in yourself, and reimagine what healthy, mutual connection can look like moving forward.

What is Betrayal Trauma?

Betrayal trauma occurs when there is a profound breach of trust in an important relationship—often one we depend on for safety, love, or support. Psychologist Jennifer Freyd introduced Betrayal Trauma Theory to describe how the experience of betrayal, especially within close relationships, can lead to symptoms that mirror those of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Betrayal trauma often stems from events that shake the very foundation of trust and emotional security in a relationship. Examples may include:

  • Emotional or sexual infidelity
  • Discovering deception or hidden truths
  • Financial dishonesty or manipulation
  • Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse—especially from someone close

These experiences can leave lasting emotional wounds, impacting how safe, seen, or valued you feel in relationships. They can also lead to symptoms such as anxiety, hypervigilance, numbness, shame, or disconnection—not just from others, but from yourself.

My approach integrates trauma-informed and relationship-focused therapy to help you process the emotional impact of betrayal, understand how it may be affecting your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and move toward restoring a sense of trust—both in yourself and in future relationships. Healing is possible, and you don’t have to navigate it alone.

See Expertise in:

Sex Therapy

Sex therapy is a specialized form of talk therapy that focuses on the emotional, psychological, and relational aspects of sex and sexuality. Just like individual or couples therapy, sessions are conversation-based and confidential, but with a specific emphasis on the things that shape your sexual well-being—your thoughts, desires, fears, relationships, and the meaning you’ve learned to attach to sex.

You can attend sex therapy on your own or with a partner. Many people come in feeling alone or ashamed of the concerns they’ve been experiencing—yet the truth is, sexual difficulties are incredibly common. Research shows that 43% of women and 31% of men experience some form of sexual dysfunction in their lifetime. These struggles can show up as erectile dysfunction, pain during sex, mismatched desire between partners, difficulty reaching orgasm, or a general loss of intimacy and sexual connection. They can also include performance anxiety, shame, or unresolved trauma that gets in the way of enjoying sex at all.

In therapy, we explore how these challenges are rooted in real emotional and relational experiences. We may look at how early messages, religious or cultural beliefs, or past trauma shape how you see yourself sexually. For couples, we work to understand how emotional closeness (or distance) impacts physical intimacy. Sometimes sexual concerns are really communication concerns, or symptoms of stress, anxiety, or burnout.

Because sexuality involves both mind and body, I use an integrative approach that draws from evidence-based frameworks like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), emotionally focused therapy (EFT), the Masters & Johnson model, somatic awareness, and mindfulness-based practices. I often assign home-based exercises that clients complete in private, such as communication exercises, intimacy-building activities, body awareness work, sensate focus, or values clarification tasks. These help reinforce the work we do in session and bring it into your real-life relationship or experience.

Additionally, we may need to work in concert with your general practitioner, psychiatrist, or other medical professionals along side our talk-based interventions. Talk-based sex therapy addresses the emotional, psychological, and relational roots of sexual concerns, creating deeper and longer-lasting change than medication or medical interventions alone. While psychiatric or medical treatments can bolster our work together and may offer short-term symptom relief, sex therapy fosters insight, connection, and sustainable growth by targeting the underlying patterns that shape sexual well-being.

Sex therapy requires specialized training, and it's important to work with someone who understands the clinical, relational, and physical complexities of sexual health. As a Ph.D.-level psychologist that also has a Masters in Marriage and Family therapy, I have had focused expertise in this area for over a decade. I bring both scientific knowledge and a deeply compassionate approach to each session. Whether you’re navigating trauma, differences in desire, religious or cultural conflicts, or the loneliness that can come from feeling disconnected from your body or your partner, you don’t have to do it alone.

Sexuality is a core part of who you are. When something in this part of life feels stuck, painful, or out of reach, it can impact your sense of self. But with support, healing is possible—and so is reconnecting with your sense of confidence, intimacy, and pleasure.

Sex therapy can help you with:

  • Healing from sexual trauma
  • Low libido or no interest in sex
  • Difficulty reaching orgasm
  • Re-defining what healthy sexuality means to you
  • Sex "addiction," porn "addiction," risky sex, or other addictive challenge affecting your sex life
  • Sexual dysfunctions (ED, vaginismus and more)
  • Sexual shame, guilt or repression
  • Understanding your sexual orientation
  • Sex during pregnancy and after childbirth
  • Sex during perimenopause and menopause
  • Sexual confidence
  • Kink, BDSM, and fetishes
  • Sex-work concerns
  • Erectile dysfunction + early (premature) ejaculation
  • Painful intercourse or other pain during sex
  • Concerns about arousal or mismatched libidos
  • Sexual desire & improving sexual satisfaction
  • Improving communication about sex
  • Differences in sexual preferences

  • Therapeutic Approach


      Here are some additional values and approaches I bring to my affirming therapy.

      Increasing Complexity


      🧩 As humans, our nervous systems are wired to keep us safe—constantly scanning for signs of danger, even before we’re consciously aware of it. This quick, automatic response can leave us feeling guarded, especially in relationships and unfamiliar or vulnerable situations. When we’ve been through trauma or difficult relationships, it makes sense that our minds might default to rigid thinking—seeing things as good or bad, right or wrong—as a way to protect ourselves.

      But the world is rarely that simple. In today’s polarized climate, it’s easy to fall into black-and-white thinking, which can shut down our empathy and reduce our ability to truly connect with others. The truth is, most of life happens in the grey areas.

      In therapy, we help you build your capacity to sit with that complexity 🌀 —to hold space for both/and instead of either/or. This means increasing your ability to navigate nuance in your emotions, relationships, and identity with more confidence, flexibility, and self-compassion.

      The more we can hold complexity, the more we open ourselves to empathy, curiosity, intimacy, and shared humanity. It’s not just about feeling better—it’s about growing deeper, more meaningful relationships and cultivating a more compassionate and nuanced world.


      ☁️ Practicing Radical Nonjudgment


      In this space, you don’t have to perform, prove, or explain why something matters to you. All parts of you—messy, brilliant, raw, contradictory—are welcome here. That includes the parts you’ve hidden, felt shame about, or feared might be "too much" for others to hold. We won’t rush to label or fix. Instead, we slow down and make space for what’s real.

      Radical nonjudgment isn’t passivity—it’s a practice. At its heart, it’s a foundational element of mindfulness: noticing what arises in your body or mind without immediately evaluating it as “good” or “bad.” That means not just suspending judgment of others—but also of yourself. Your feelings, thoughts, impulses, and reactions don’t need to be corrected as they emerge. They need to be heard. It means staying open to your full experience without collapsing into shame or bypassing it with silver linings.

      This kind of compassionate awareness is especially powerful for creatives and those in marginalized communities, who often internalize judgment from the outside world. By learning to witness your experience without harsh self-criticism, you open the door to deeper healing, clarity, and freedom in how you show up in your art and your life.

      Here, you don’t have to earn acceptance. You get to start from it.


      🧭 Values-Driven & Client-Centered


      Your values are the compass, and therapy is the space where you get to tune in to what truly matters—beneath the noise of expectation, performance, or survival. I don’t approach your life with a fixed map of what should happen. Instead, I help you clarify your own priorities, vision, and truth—even (and especially) if those things have been buried under burnout, anxiety, or other people’s projections.

      Our work is collaborative and flexible. I trust your instincts. I respect your pacing. And I believe you are the expert of your own experience. My role is to listen deeply, reflect what I see, and offer tools and insight that support you in living with greater alignment, freedom, and integrity. 🌈


      Embracing Embodiment


      🧠 + 🧘 Therapy is not just a mental process—it’s physical, too. Emotions are experienced in the body, and healing often involves noticing where those emotions live, and gently working through them. In a culture that prioritizes logic over feeling, we help you reconnect to the wisdom of your body. Using moment-to-moment awareness, we explore your physical sensations, breath, posture, and energy to uncover stuck emotions, restore a sense of agency, and support emotional regulation. Embodied healing and somatic interventions allow you to move through pain, not just talk about it.


    • Aligning with Authenticity


      🎭 + 🪞Authenticity is about identity. It’s the ongoing process of aligning your inner truth with your outer life, so you can feel fully yourself rather than fractured or hidden. It is essential to mental health. When you're constantly curating, performing, or concealing parts of yourself—whether to meet public expectations, industry demands, or to protect your image—it creates a split between who you are and who you feel allowed to be. Over time, that disconnection can lead to anxiety, depression, burnout, or a deep sense of emptiness. Mental health thrives when we can integrate all parts of ourselves—our vulnerabilities, complexities, and contradictions—with compassion and honesty. You deserve a space where you don’t have to perform. In therapy, we’ll work toward helping you feel safe enough to show up fully, without the pressure to edit yourself. Because being real—being whole—isn’t just freeing, it’s healing.


      Deepening Self-Awareness & Insight


      👁️ + 🔍 Therapy is not just about symptom relief—it's about curiosity. Together, we explore your inner world with depth and nuance, helping you recognize patterns that may be so familiar they’ve become invisible. The aim isn’t just to “understand” in an intellectual sense, but to feel the truth of your experience in a way that allows for clarity, compassion, and change. Whether you're navigating the complexities of fame, family, desire, or creative drive, we work to bring unconscious dynamics into the light—so you can respond rather than react, and make choices rooted in self-knowledge rather than habit or fear.

      Insight isn’t where we stop—it’s where real transformation begins.


      🤝 Building Meaningful Connection & Support


      Healing doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens in connection. Whether you're used to being the one who “has it all together” or you're someone who’s always walked the edge alone, therapy can be a rare space where you're invited to be fully seen, supported, and understood—without judgment or agenda.

      Our work together centers not just on solving problems, but on building relationships: with yourself, with others, and within the therapeutic space. If you're a creative, your work might already explore deep human truths—but this is your space to experience them firsthand. We explore what intimacy, safety, and trust mean to you, especially if those things have felt inconsistent or painful in the past.

      And support doesn’t just mean comfort—it means challenge, too. We grow stronger in connection by practicing vulnerability, learning how to communicate with clarity and compassion, and letting ourselves be impacted by others. Together, we’ll create a relationship that models what supportive, authentic connection can feel like—so you can take that out into the world with more confidence and care.

      You don’t have to go it alone. Support is part of the art.


      Embracing Growth & Transformation


      🌿 + 🌊 Transformation isn’t always graceful—it’s often uncomfortable, nonlinear, and emotionally intense. In therapy, we honor the complexity of personal evolution: the grief that comes with letting go, the fear of stepping into the unknown, and the courage it takes to grow anyway. We don’t rush the process or avoid the dark corners—we explore them together. Growth is not just about feeling better; it’s about becoming more whole. This work can be messy and vulnerable, but it can also be deeply clarifying, freeing, and meaningful.


      Play! & Imagination


      💭 + 🤸 Growth doesn’t always have to be heavy. In fact, playfulness, humor, and creativity are essential tools for healing and resilience. We also know that trauma, stress, and social polarization can shrink our emotional flexibility—making life feel rigid, black-and-white, or overly serious. That’s why we gently expand your capacity to hold complexity, ambiguity, and the both/and of life. Together, we’ll practice curiosity, celebrate your joys, and find lightness when it’s needed most.

      Therapy should reflect the full range of human experience—including laughter.

Trauma-Focused Couples Therapy

There are evidence-based couples therapies that navigate interpersonal relationships struggling with trauma (and depression) experienced by one or both partners. I have specific expertise in treating relationship distress related to the impacts of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, discrimination, and trauma.

See:

  • Expertise in Trauma-Focused Therapy

    • Investment

    Research suggests that greater satisfaction in your romantic relationship is significantly associated with greater general life satisfaction and even positive physical health outcomes. Distressing relationships are associated with a range of physical, emotional, and psychological problems. Relational therapy can serve as a preventative approach to build resiliency, strength, joy, and commitment for lifelong success. It is a unique opportunity to invest in the health of your relationship as well as your own wellbeing.

    ​ Many therapists will state that they provide relationship counseling but often have never had specific training in couples therapy. Couples therapy is very different from individual therapy, even though it can appear to use the same concepts and skills. Choosing a therapist with specific couples/relational training is important. I am very selective about the couples I work with-- focusing on fit and expertise. I take your time and effort very seriously, and I expect each Client I work with to likewise make the same commitment to our sessions.